Since I don't collect a lot of sets this is the first time I have run into the FOA promo cards. I dealt with the Case Insentives, and don't mind the sticker autos and all redemptions but when you have to pay 100.00 for a card that was given away to a select few (and some got multiples) it's REALLY frustrating to see some people selling multiples is even more frustrating.

It has been tough with sets being canceled, no info being given till the last minute(then some suprises),delays, etc... Things just seem very unorganized and it's hard to plan ahead.. I think I have reached my breaking point and have to give SERIOUS consideration to ending my collecting and just unloading everything.

Am I the only one this frustrated with the state of the hobby?

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Streich:
Since I don't collect a lot of sets this is the first time I have run into the FOA promo cards. I dealt with the Case Insentives, and don't mind the sticker autos and all redemptions but when you have to pay 100.00 for a card that was given away to a select few (and some got multiples) it's REALLY frustrating to see some people selling multiples is even more frustrating.

It has been tough with sets being canceled, no info being given till the last minute(then some suprises),delays, etc... Things just seem very unorganized and it's hard to plan ahead.. I think I have reached my breaking point and have to give SERIOUS consideration to ending my collecting and just unloading everything.

Am I the only one this frustrated with the state of the hobby?

I too have reached by breaking point, but It came quickly due to lack of money also. When I had the extra money it didn't really matter.

I was very fustrated a few years ago when the same dealer had multiple Inkworks P-i cards that were selling for $30 each and the common people were only allowed to send in for one.

Now, I needed to set my priorities and my hobby keeps getting put lower on the list.

Even though my buying practices have changed It hasn't led me to "Just unload everything".

I have kept 80% of my cards and only sold off the cards that have given me the quick cash.

Yup! me too! (see, thats a wrap thread)
But i am still going to be collecting cards - but i shall be venturing into the sports cards scene and seeing how that goes. But as for non sports, yup, i've definatly had enough, which is sad to say.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Streich:

when you have to pay 100.00 for a card that was given away to a select few

You don't Have to do anything. This card is not part of the set. You can collect the whole set without ever caring that this card exists. Do you want this card because you love it or just because it is there.?

Originally the FOA card was made so that Allan had something nice to give to people he met and enjoyed talking to. It was never meant to be given to dealers in quantity so they could boost their income. If this situation has changed then i am not aware of it.

As with all the cards which come out in the hobby some are easy to get and cheap and some are difficult and exspensive. I have holes in my collection which i know i cannot fill due to the fact that i cannot afford them. It is very frustrating but i knew i was going to be in that position before i started collecting the set.

Everyone has two ways to go on this one. We either except the situation and enjoy the cards we do have or we beat ourselves up and give up collecting worrying about the cards we do not have.

I for one would rather enjoy what i do have and hope that one day i will get the card or cards that i do not have. I do this full in the knowledge that i will probably never fill in some of those gaps but then as i said i knew that going in.

quote:

Originally posted by wolfie:

I for one would rather enjoy what i do have and hope that one day i will get the card or cards that i do not have. I do this full in the knowledge that i will probably never fill in some of those gaps but then as i said i knew that going in.

Well said, Wolfie. I can understand that some people have a completist attitude - but there are always going to be those cards out there that are just ridiculously expensive. I for one won't let that stop me from collecting. I collect cards because I love the subject matter - if that meant I could only afford the base set, then you better believe that I'll own the base set, because it's for something I truly appreciate. And I can collect with the hope that someday, the prices will lower or I'll score the deal of a lifetime and be that much closer to a master set. But you can't expect a master set to happen overnight, that's unrealistic unless you happen to be rich.



Just my two cents. I always get sad when I see people talk about leaving the hobby. Hope it doesn't come to that for you, Jim.

Nobody says you need to buy every single card. If that's what you like doing - then you've got to deal with that yourself.

I think it's a bit dramatic to talk about breaking points - because every collector has the choice to buy or not buy a set. Sure there may have been some crappy releases lately, but nobody was FORCED to buy em. There have been some great sets too (BSG S3), and I'm sure there will be more to come.

It may now sound cliche, but maybe just cut back on your spending and just buy a couple boxes here and there for fun. I think the whole - I'm gonna bust 20 cases mentality drains any fun out of collecting, b/c when you open 20 cases worth (even 1 case), you quickly stop paying attention to any base card and it becomes about what premium card you did or did not get.

As a long term collector, I keep having to deal with this same type of situation, but I keep one thing in mind. There's always a limit to what you can get. Period. My limit's pretty low, and I know I'll never be able to get all I'd like to get. It's a frustration, but also a reality that is unavoidable. If I can't afford it, I won't get it. If I can get something at a better price, or something else at a better price, then that's what I'll do.

Let's put things into another perspective. Buyers always have the final decision whether to pay what sellers are asking. If they're not willing to pay, perhaps sellers will wise up (after buyers have done so ) and offer some things at a more reasonable price.

It's something you have to keep in mind no matter how much you have to play with. And no matter what you're buying, too.

I think that trying to complete EVERY set or trying to cover every release will quickly lead to burn-out, frustration and dis-illusionment. There are cases of this here on Card Talk, but it's true for most hobbies. A collection that starts small and grows naturally is far more satisfying. I look back on sets I started 30 years ago and even though they're not complete (and probably never will be) they give me as much pleasure as my master set, and any of my autograph's and sketch cards. I can pick up odd cards here and there where funds allow.
Thanks to the internet and various non-sport related sites I can share in other collectors great finds, and actually see cards that I never would have had the chance to, and would have only shown on my WANTED list.

You can't have it all, but you can own a piece of it and see a good amount of the rest on your PC.

I agree with wolfie - enjoy what you have, not what you haven't.

i don't think jim is saying that he is JUST frustrated over the foa promos. i believe he is saying that there are many other problems lately within the hobby that are aggravating him and this is his straw. i read these boards enough to notice that there are a lot of people annoyed right now with many different areas: bad collation, bad inserts, etc.

he is asking- has this frustration gotten any of you to the point that you don't even want to collect any more?

for example- i see that joey is leaving due precisely to these reasons.

To put things in perspective I unloaded a lot of nice cards (lost lilly auto, Serenity autos, lost Lacey Chabert auto and more) to trade or sell and buy the cards I needed for the connetions set. I opened a few boxes and then got the binder/uncut sheet etc. I come from sports cards and gave up in around 2005 when I realized it was more for profit and less for fun anymore..

When I enquired about these cards from inkworks I was told they were given to dealers and distributors and even given an email adress of a seller I could try and buy one off of them, and I know of one dealer who has at least 3.. Yes it is a really nice card and I don't see the set being complete without it, I don't see variants as part of the set but this is not a variant this is a pretty much just a promo card and it's higher then almost all the autos and is higher then all the pieceworks..

I don't have a problem with a special card like this(if general public has a realistic shot), BUT when you factor in the way it is handled along with all the other stuff going on it gets beyond frustrating.

WWS

(What Wolfie Said!)

David

Perhaps we've lost sight of what these card are.....trading cards. If there's a card that's needed, we can always try trading for it. Yes, it might take a couple of really nice cards to get the one that's needed, but that's the nature of the hobby.

Also, most collectors have "sets-in-progress". I have sets I've been building for over 10 years. I suppose I could always buy the cards I need but it's somewhat satisfying to find another collector with whom to trade.

This hobby is supposed to be fun. Let's not lose sight of that.

First off, the dealer on eBay didn't start the bidding at $100, it got there all by itself. The collectors decided what this promo is worth to them.

I guarantee there will be more FOA promos available, and nowhere near that price too. FOA promos are notorious for going high at first and settling down to a respectable price.

I would bet Allan gives out quite a few FOA's at SDCC this year.

Ed

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
I would bet Allan gives out quite a few FOA's at SDCC this year.

Ed

Probably one of the only shows other than the Philly shows to get one without paying for it. For the rest of us the shows that we go to Inkworks does not attend and has not in awhile so our chance of having one given to us is pretty much Zero so we either pay or go without.

Remember that everyone has that "the glass is half full, the glass is half empty mentality" and sometimes it switches with circumstance.

A lot of people on these boards are venting some highly fustrated comments lately. Who's retiring from the hobby, who's selling their collection, who will never buy another pack of whatever. Before anybody hits the breaking point why not just chill out?

Sure there are things going on that we don't like. I don't like Waterhouse sketches, sticker autographs, cards I want but can't afford and dud boxes. Just to name a few. That doesn't mean I'm quiting, that means I'm more selective now and I enjoy non-sport card collecting within the limits I've set for myself.

I have a nice collection and I'm sure that everyone reading this has a nice collection if you have been doing it for a while, so don't dump your cards in a fit. It took a lot of time and effort to find them, the money is usually secondary. Take a breath, slow down, change your goals if you have to, but know that the glass is half full.

If you are patient these cards will turn up, I'm sure. . . For example, I don't collect promos at all yet have a few FOA promos I would gladly trade, none of the one in question, but that's not the point. . . I'm sure there will be people out there at SDCC or Philly who are able to get one that they would be more than happy to trade.

Patience is a key in this hobby.

Jon

I've learned to deal with it... that you can't have it all that is. If that were the case I'd have many, many, many... many more complete master sets.

But if it bothers you so much then perhaps you should move on to something else that will give you enjoyment as I doubt that things will change.

quote:

Originally posted by Redemption:
But if it bothers you so much then perhaps you should move on to something else that will give you enjoyment as I doubt that things will change.

That's what I'm doing I just got rid of my supernatural seasons 1 and 2 and from what I was told have at least 3 weeks to consider what to do with my connections redemptions when they come in..

I'm sure more will pop up and that's great for people who have the ability to attend the conventions where the promos are given out, as for the price coming down tell that to the people who came aboard the supernatural season 1 set late in the game. A lot of people thought they were high when they came out now they are even higher..

IF they were going to be giving any out at the SDCC why wouln't inkworks point this out instead of telling me to check Ebay and giving me the email addy of an ebay seller to buy from?

If it comes off that way I'm not blaming dealers, it's their right to do whatever they want with the ones they get. But there was already case incentives for this release so these are even more on top of that.. If said dealer sells the 3 or 4 FOA they got for 75-100 each and the incentive for 150.00 then that's 450.00 they made off of their case already before even selling a single box..

Good job to the dealers who passed these on to their loyal customers right now you are the one bright spot in the hobby

I'd rather be considered a "Friend of Allan" than just to be in the right place at the right time. I'll never be a big purchaser but I hope he's enjoyed some of our "chats."

Of course, he might still remember the time I asked him if Inkworks was thinking about doing another Andromeda set ...

If you can't be an FOA ( friend of Allan ) then be an FOA ( friend of Arlene ) and she will tell him to give you a card or he gets no supper.